Often, there is some bold exaggerated claim on the front, a few red clip-art arrows shooting into the sky, and (if I am really unlucky) a picture of a shiny suited man pointing his fingers at me, a sideways smile and an eyebrow raised.

The worst thing about these books is the language.

Chapter 1: Prepare your attack! How to hunt your customer.

Chapter 2: Finding the pain and opening the wound.

Chapter 3: What to do if your customer becomes defensive.

It sounds like the script for a horror film.

I mean seriously.

How are the “best sales consultants in the world” likening their own trade to the running plot line of American Psycho?

If I was walking through an alley at night and a man attacked me… I wouldn’t be grateful.

I wouldn’t think, “Let’s find out more about this person, I’m sure he’s great. Tell me a bit more about yourself. What is it that you do?”.

I’d kick him in the balls and call the police.

If you attack someone there is a high chance they will get defensive.

Sales training books are littered with words about ‘hunting the customer’, ‘planning the attack’, ‘defeating their defence’, ‘finding pain’, ‘opening wounds’, ‘winning their business’ and ‘closing the deal’.

Even the word “target market” sounds like you are at a firing range.

Imagine if I told a child that the playground was a battlefield. That he should plan how he should best attack his classmates, and some strategies around what to do if they become defensive. By the end of the day he would be staring at a wall, in a room on his own.

No-one would want to talk to him.

This is exactly what happens in sales.

We are brainwashed to think that we have to manipulate, force and “win” our way to the sale. “Battlefield” language becomes the norm.

It then inserts itself into our minds. It is ingrained in our psyche. We start using it without thinking about it, and next we can’t understand why no-one will take our calls or want to do business with us.

Either that, or it feels so wrong to sell in this way that we don’t do it. We procrastinate doing other stuff, making tea and watching fluffy animals on YouTube in a desperate attempt to remind ourselves that we do have a soul.

Every sales problem starts with a mindset problem.

Thoughts become words. Words become outcomes.

Start thinking the right things and you will start seeing the outcomes you want.

Have a smashing week!

Jen

Jen WagstaffCreativeMind Sales TrainingBecause being a psychopath will not get you clients